The Return of Emperor Nightlord
by Get Keen
Summary: When Abel Nightlord agrees to take his rightful place as the Emperor of the New Human Empire, the Methuselah are overjoyed and immediately take to their new ruler. However, those who thought they knew Father Abel Nightroad are unhappy (to say the least) about this turn of events. When they show up and begin to complicate his new life, interesting events are brought about...
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Father Abel Nightroad sighed and removed his glasses as he folded the crisp piece of paper he had just finished reading. He pinched the bridge of nose, the permanent headache he had as a result of wearing the disorienting spectacles had suddenly intensified after taking in the full meaning of the letter's contents. His glasses, much like his normal clumsy demeanour, were part of a cleverly constructed persona, and the Vatican priest did not actually need them in order to see clearly. In fact, they served the exact opposite of their intended purpose for this unusual man of the cloth. The tall, silver-haired priest wore them so that he _couldn't_ see more than two-feet in front of him.

If anyone had been aware of this fact, they would have thought the 20-year-old to be even more strange than he already seemed. Well, unless they knew of the reasons behind his act.

Over eight hundred years ago, it was said that a great massacre had occurred shortly after the dawn of the existence of Methuselah, more commonly known as vampires (much to the race's great disgust). The leader of their nation, Emperor Nightlord, a legendary soldier and worthy, fair ruler, was betrayed by the only other notable empire on Earth, that of the human race. Although no one knows exactly how the humans, who were also termed terrans by the Methuselah, betrayed the vampire royal, every member of vampire and human race alike shudder at the tale's recount of his vengeance. The emperor, driven mad with betrayal and a lust for revenge, slaughtered seven million of the humans; men, women and children alike, with no remorse. It was said that his older brother had tried to stop him, but the irate emperor had turned on him as well, in a fit of frenzy. It is not foretold how the fight between the two brothers ended, or what had become of them or their younger sister; but it is only known that there has been no sign of either of the trio since that fateful war. A new leader, Empress Augusta Vradica rose up and led the Methuselah nation through the war, continuing to rule them presently; and the humans had recovered, bouncing back like they have always done. Some say that to this day the two brothers continue to battle it out, the reason for each of their fights forgotten, and both of them having been driven insane by having to go head to head with their beloved sibling for centuries.

Father Nightroad tightened the two fingers he still held to his nose involuntarily as he recalled the legend that had been passed down from both Methuselah and human races for as long as he could remember. He knew well enough that, although the need for revenge had ultimately sparked the Human-Methuselah war, it was not that that had caused the emperor to lash out so drastically. Rather, it was the other consciousness he had held in his mind for over two centuries. The crusnik nanomachines that had whispered empty promises of a peaceful resolving of what had previously been only a threat of war. Instead, they had taken over his body and become the cause for the conflict the reasonably peaceful emperor had not wanted in the first place. Once again, this was an odd fact for a simple priest to be aware of.

But Father Abel Nightroad was not merely a servant of the Lord. He was a nine hundred-year-old servant of the Lord. Who was neither human or vampire. He was, in fact, the emperor the legends speak so crudely of. Emperor Abel Nightlord. Thinking back on it, Father Night _road_ could have chosen a name that had been a little further from the original if he had really wanted to conceal his true identity. However, after seven centuries of serving a penance for his actions when the nanomachines had been in control, he had become much wiser and could see now that he had never really truly wanted to disown his family and his name, even if he believed he did. The moment he had left his empire, his sister Seth Nightlord, one and the same as Empress Augusta Vradica, had made him promise to one-day return to his rightful throne. He had done so, never fully intending to keep that promise in his belief that he had betrayed his people.

But now…

He looked down at the letter again, which bore the elegant cursive handwriting of his sister. There was apparently trouble rising within the New Human Empire's inner circle, and the Methuselah were growing restless. Father Nightroad chuckled mirthlessly as he re-read Seth's statement that the legends surrounding Abel Nightlord had included a time of his 'second coming' so to speak. That is, if he was no longer battling his brother and – of course – had become sane again. So many ifs.

Although Abel had thankfully returned to his right mind after the horror and despair he had felt at the crusnik's actions turned out to be powerful enough to subdue its conscious; the part about fighting his brother was still somewhat true. It was not a constant battle as the legends stated, however. This particular conflict was going on at a far slower pace but, in spite of the fact that Abel had recently crippled Cain's little 'fan club', the man had not arrived to challenge his younger brother on the matter.

Cain Nightlord had in fact been driven insane by the crusnik contained in his own system all those centuries ago. He had fought the nanomachines as Abel had done, only – he had lost, and there was no longer a trace of the older brother Abel had once looked up to and loved.

That Cain had died when 01, the name of his crusnik, had mercilessly murdered _her._

Abel ground his teeth and shook his head in an attempt to clear it of the painful memories that had begun to resurface. Both the humans and Methuselah had thought the three Nightlord siblings to merely be extremely powerful vampires themselves. In truth, they were something much worse. They were vampires' vampires. Sustaining themselves by feeding only on vampire blood, the crusniks – named so for the nanomachines they housed – could release their power to certain percentages. Cain had been permanently fused to one hundred percent, a state that had caused him to lose the battle against 01; while both Abel and Seth could only activate their crusnik up to the eightieth percentile. At each increase in percentage, their forms grew more fearsome, becoming less and less human and more like the monsters they truly were. Abel shuddered as he recalled the true form of the crusnik, something he had only seen once when Cain, or 01, had activated it.

Noticing his thoughts wandering, Father Nightroad once again attempted to focus on the task at hand, or rather the decision he was going to have to make in response to the persistent request at the end of the letter just above the imperial insignia. He had been successful in putting the matter off for centuries, and it would have been so easy to simply continue putting it off for a few more; but he resisted the temptation. His younger sister needed him, and Abel was not going to abandon her for a second time.

His decision clear in his mind, he placed the deceiving spectacles on his dark, wooden desk and removed the black ribbon that held back his long, silver hair.

The lord of the Night was finally going to return to his people.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

As he walked along the hallways the soon to be ex-priest moved gracefully and purposefully, his long strides confident and out of character for the bumbling man the other members of the Vatican had come to find endearing.

If one of them were to see him now, they could have almost mistaken him for an entirely different person; if it wasn't for his distinctive silver mane, that is. And it was by these flowing locks that one of the priests noticed Abel as he strode in the direction of his boss, Cardinal Caterina Sforza's, office.

"Hey, Four-eyes!" A black robed man called out to him, waving enthusiastically from down the corridor. Abel sighed as he recognised the term Father Leon referred to him _fondly_ with. He was about to put on his goofball mask again as he saw the man approach, but then decided against it.

 _What's the use,_ he thought to himself, _they will all be finding out who I really am soon enough. And will most likely think I've been spying against them all along._ Abel resisted the urge to drag a slender hand down his face as his headache made its presence felt once more. There were just so many problems surrounding his return to the Empire, maybe it would better off if he didn't…

 _No. I have made up my mind._

There was a determined set to his jaw as the dark-haired priest finally reached him and slammed a hand on his back in a manner of greeting.

"What's up, Four-eyes?" Father Leon grinned, his straight white teeth gleaming charmingly at his friend, "Where are you heading off to looking so serious? I honestly think this is the first time you've ever acted like a normal human being!" He chuckled while Abel smiled wryly at the irony of his comment. The first time he let his 'human' façade fall away, and it was the only time he had ever seemed human to his colleagues, _of course_ that was the case.

"If you would kindly unhand me, Father Leon. I have an important matter to discuss with Cardinal Sforza," the smile had fallen away from Abel's face and the sudden intensity in his colleague's gaze was making Leon somewhat uncomfortable. He coughed awkwardly, and quickly covered it with another chuckle. _What is up with this guy?_

"'Unhand me?' Seriously man, I think you've been spending too much time around Tres lately," Leon's smile was genuine again, "And I'm sure it's not _so_ important that you can't come and have a bite to eat with your AX pals first, right?" This was sure to knock Abel out of his weird seriousness; the man's first love in life was food.

Abel's expression merely hardened slightly, "No thank you, Leon." His voice sounded strained with an emotion. Was it…anger?

Father Leon resisted the urge to gasp. Abel never got angry, not even at those bloodsuckers they fought. And did he just drop the 'Father' title? He never did that either.

"Now if you will excuse me," Nightroad hissed and wrenched out of the priest's grip before stalking off to the cardinal's office door, entering and slamming it behind him.

Poor Father Leon was left stranded, staring after his friend with a bewildered expression on his face.

"Thank you, Caterina. I knew you would understand," Abel Nightroad thanked his superior graciously as he stood, ready to leave her office for the last time.

The blond, monocle woman behind the extravagant, mahogany desk steepled her fingers and sighed into them. She had known this day had to come. From the first day the cardinal met Nightroad, she had known that his place was within the Empire.

He was a crusnik, this facet of his nature had been revealed as he had valiantly protected her from an onslaught of vampires after her lifeblood. But she had not run from the white-haired 'demon' that had suddenly appeared before her. No, she had waited, watching in awe, until the fight was over. It was then that he had turned and held out his bloodstained hand to her, promising that he had arrived to protect the humans. Caterina had realised then that he was no demon. He was in fact, an angel, even if he himself could not see it that way.

"Of course, Father – that is to say, Emperor Nightlord," the cardinal remembered herself suddenly and stood up from behind her desk, inclining her head slightly in a show of respect. When she looked up again, horror was written all over Abel's features. Caterina smiled, she had known he would react in this manner and had wanted to tease him for the last time.

Abel crossed the office in two strides and gripped Caterina's hands in his own, "Caterina," he began earnestly, "you _know_ you need not address me as such. I do not consider myself emperor after all, and I certainly do not deserve the title."

The cardinal's eyes sparkled behind her gleaming monocle as she laughed sadly, "I know Abel. I am just going to miss teasing you, is all." She hung her head sadly, and felt Nightroad – er, Night _lord's_ – arms draw her into a bear hug. If she had been a woman of any less strength, she would have burst into tears. Both she and Abel knew that, but she was not. So she didn't.

Instead, after the comforting farewell hug had ended, Abel held her out at arm's length and gave her parting words of wisdom, "Be careful now, young lady," some of the ex-priest's goofy act had returned, "Keep Tres around you at all times." There was a hint of seriousness in the man's voice however, and Caterina knew he meant his words. He did not want anything to happen to her in his absence.

She turned him around, and pushed him towards the door of her office. If she didn't get him out now, she wouldn't be able to hold back her choked up emotions any longer. At the doorway, she just managed to get the words of her last command out, "Tres is waiting for you at the _Iron Maiden,_ he will escort you to the Empire."

Abel scowled, "What did I _just_ say?"

The cardinal smiled sadly, "I never have been good at listening to you, have I, Abel?" And with that she shut the door abruptly.

The old/new emperor could only stand blinking for a few moments, before he started walking in the direction of the _Iron Maiden_ 's "parking spot". He had seen the sorrow in Caterina's warm eyes as she had attempted to bid farewell to her oldest friend. In the end she had not managed to get it out, but Abel didn't mind. He didn't intend this to be the last time they met, after all. If anything, he was going to demand Seth have him be the Empire's liaison with the Vatican when he got there.

Abel flung open a pair of large, double doors and strode out into the bright sunshine, the large airship hovering only little ways off being the focus of his icy gaze. He looked over his shoulder as he continued walking, to take in a last glimpse of the place that had been his home for most of his long life. It had not changed very much at all in the centuries he had been there, and he would miss its familiar structure greatly, as well as the people inside it. A pang went through his heart as he realised he had not said goodbye to anyone else, but he did not hesitate in his long strides. Hopefully he would get a chance to see them all again, and offer them an apology for this reason, and an explanation every last one of them deserved. Even Father Leon.

Abel grinned slightly at the thought of his convict partner, who was now a priest; but that was a long story, one that he didn't have the time to ruminate on for now.

He stepped into the airship quickly, greeting the red-haired android who was wearing the same black robes he had on. Father Tres simply gave him a stiff nod, one eye glowing a faint red as he analysed the organic lifeform who had climbed on board.

A loud clang echoed in the _Iron Maiden_ 's large hull as the door slid and fastened shut. This noise was followed by a softer whirr of machinery as Tres sat down across from where Abel had already taken a seat.

The ex-priest rested his chin on one hand and gazed out of one of the airship's small windows with something akin to nostalgia as they lifted off from the ground. When the android sat down across from him however, Abel looked at him as if he was almost surprised by his actions. The robot had never voluntarily come near one of his human, or in this case – crusnik – colleagues unless it had been a direct order from cardinal Caterina, or if one of them was in immediate danger.

"Yes, Tres?" Abel began hesitantly, "What can I do for you my friend?"

Almost immediately the red-head replied, "Status report, Emperor Nightlord." The name was like a punch in the gut to Abel, and he remained frozen in his seat, gasping like a fish out of water.

"Sensors indicate rapidly diminishing air supply. Request permission to assist, Emperor Nightlord." Abel only held out his hands at this, shaking his head as he finally remembered how lungs worked. He took a deep, gasping breath and smiled shakily at Father Tres.

"Sorry, Tres. I just have to get used to the name, is all," he said so quietly, he wasn't sure if his android friend had even heard him.

"Affirmative. Previous alias: Father Abel Nightroad. Actual Identity: Emperor Abel Nightlord," the android nodded his head as if it was something he had known all along. Abel grinned suddenly, almost seeming like the goofy idiot he had played for the last few years but if this surprised Tres, he did not show it.

Caterina was so clever. She had known that the only AX agent that could be trusted not to overreact at Father Nightroad's true identity was Tres, the android that he was. The newly re-discovered Nightlord sighed in happy relief, he was grateful to the cardinal for assigning him to be his escort. He didn't think he could handle the mistrustful looks, or sideways glances he had come to know so well again.

Abel was shocked when Tres spoke up again, "Request classification, Emperor Nightlord."

A mildly confused Nightlord replied, "Pardon me, my friend?"

"Request classification of species, Emperor Nightlord," the android elaborated on his initial demand. Abel's eyes twinkled; in his own special way, Tres was trying to keep the conversation going. Would he miss Father Nightroad, as well?

"Ah, I see. I am a crusnik, Tres," Abel humoured the robot. He couldn't deny that he was going to miss his somewhat dry company more than he suspected the red-haired 'man' would his.

"Crusnik. Confirmed. Adding crusnik signature to database," Nightlord rolled his icy blue eyes good naturedly.

When the android didn't say anything more, Abel looked back out the window again at the city of Rome passing by underneath the _Iron Maiden._ Before he knew it, the rhythmic motion of the airship had rocked him into a light, restless sleep.

Abel Nightlord awoke to the gentle, repeated nudging of his shoulder. His eyes opening blearily at first, they widened almost immediately to see Father Tres looking at him with his expressionless face. Abel had not known Tres to be capable of such gentleness, and he followed him, gaping, to the airship door.

"Destination reached, Emperor Nightlord," he stated. Abel nodded his head in acknowledgement. They had reached the grounds of the Empress, his sister's, extravagant palace. The journey had taken them through until dusk, and the sun had all but disappeared over the horizon. In the matter of an hour or so, the New Human Empire would be bustling with activity as the Methuselah headed out for the 'day'. Abel could no longer supress a genuine smile. It felt good to be back home.

Still sensing the android's presence behind him, Nightlord decided that he could at least say goodbye to one of his Vatican friends, even if the robot was incapable of considering him as such.

He clapped a hand on Tres' shoulder, sadness returning to his eyes once more, "Goodbye, Father. I will miss you, my friend."

The android said nothing for a moment, almost as if he was hesitating. Then, much to Abel's surprise, Tres placed a heavy hand on his shoulder as well and mimicked his movements.

He then heard Tres' voice, repeating the very words he had just said to him, "Goodbye, Father. I will miss you my, friend."

And then, swiftly removing his hand from Abel's shoulder, Tres turned and jumped into the airship once more, not looking back as the door slid shut behind him. The silver-haired emperor could only watch it leave, his mouth slightly agape again. Had Tres just said he was going to miss him? Granted, those were Abel's words coming from his mouth, but the gesture had been genuine, and rather heart-breaking. Maybe the android did consider him a friend after all.

Turning now to the magnificent, imperial building before him, Abel took a deep breath and began to walk towards the entrance. The footmen opened the door for him without question, their flabbergasted, but reverent, expressions were enough to tell the emperor that Seth had done anything but keep his arrival a secret. Knowing her, she had probably made the knowledge public to make him feel _obligated_ to take the emperorship back. She had been successful.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"When is he supposed to arrive, Empress?" A vivacious, blond vampire paced nervously in front of Seth Nightlord. Her hair, cut short, bobbed each time she turned and the single red streak in her fringe became a blur as her barely contained excitement caused her to walk faster and faster.

"Please relax, Asthe," the empress replied gently, "He is nothing to fear. In fact, you may be disappointed in who my brother turns out to be. Seeing as you have considered him your _tovarish_ since your brief mission together," she said this last part under her breath. She needn't have worried about Lady Astherosh hearing her however, as she hadn't seemed to have heard any of what her empress had just told her.

She kept babbling on, "It was enough of a shock to hear that you are actually Seth Nightlord, my empress. And now, the _original emperor_ will be returning to take his rightful throne," she did not seem too displeased with the idea, in spite of her incomparable loyalty to Seth. She continued, "I, like every Methuselah child, had thrived on the legends that he may one day return. I never thought I would live to _see_ it. To actually serve under the great emperor Nightlord will be such an honour…"

As she continued her overjoyed prattling, Seth had to supress a giggle. Poor Asthe would die from embarrassment when she realised the human she had treated with such disdain was actually the emperor she admired so greatly. Well, either that or she would rip her _tovarish_ – her partner – limb from crusnik limb for not telling her the truth.

The young girl, who was in fact over nine centuries old, ruffled her short, black hair with a small hand as she also grew restless at Abel's impending arrival. Why wasn't he here yet? Cardinal Sforza had ensured her that he was on his way in the message relayed to her by Sister Kate, the Vatican nun who was actually a hologram.

 _Honestly, an ex-convict, an android and now a hologram; the humans definitely were strange creatures. But then again, the_ did _hire Abel._

Seth laughed out loud this time at the thought, still not managing to interrupt the vampire noble's anticipating mumblings. Just then, Seth could hear purposeful steps striding towards her chambers. Her heart leapt in her chest; it had to be a guard coming to notify her of her brother's arrival.

In no time at all, the footsteps stopped outside her door, and a purposeful knock sounded from the other side of the thick wood.

"You may enter," Seth stated graciously.

Without further hesitation, the door was flung open and the empress' emerald green eyes locked onto the one face she had yearned to gaze upon for centuries _._ She should have known that he would not have waited for the guards to announce his arrival.

Abel's cheeks were slightly flushed, but not from exertion. He was genuinely _happy to see her_. Seth leapt to her feet with a cry of joy, intending to run into her older brother's arms but both the movement and her yell had finally snapped Asthe out of her trance of nervous anticipation.

Her head snapping towards the door, she growled as her eyes locked on the intruding figure. What the noble was not aware of however was that, if it hadn't been for the silver-hair and tatty priest's robes he wore, Asthe would never have recognised her _tovarish_. She didn't notice the absence of his spectacles, or the superior way he now held himself, or even the utter lack of idiocy she had grown so used to in his character. The only thing that mattered to her currently, was that he had no place here at the moment, and was imposing on what was easily the most important moment in all of Methuselah history. Not to mention the fact that he was entering the _private chambers_ of the empress, something that no terran, not even he, was permitted to do. Ever.

With a snarl, she rushed towards him, intending to give him a good thrashing for both of these extremely valid reasons and stretched out her arm so that she could grab him by the throat and berate him while his feet were dangling a foot off the ground. It was one of her favourite tactics.

What she was not expecting though, was the arm that Abel held out to stop her. Gagging as he grabbed her by the shirt collar, she was forced to a halt and was left staring into the (ex) priest's mesmerising blue eyes.

After a second of shocked surprise, an enraged scowl quickly overtook the vampire woman's features and she attempted to swipe his hand away. His long, slender fingers remained firmly in place.

"I suspected you were some sort of enhanced human, _tovarish._ Now, unhand me!" When he shook his head, Asthe's face began to turn crimson with anger.

Abel replied simply, a glimmer of humour beginning to reveal itself on his lips, "If you act like I child, Asthe, then I will treat you like one." This comment of Abel's did the trick.

"How _dare_ you, ignorant terran! You may be my partner, but you have _no right_ to speak to a higher being in such a way. I command you to let me go..."

Asthe launched herself into another rant while the two Nightlord siblings shared a conspiratorial grin. Abel winced slightly as his partner's threats grew more violent. 'She's going to kill me isn't she,' he mouthed silently to his sister, who just nodded her head with a wide, innocent grin lighting up her child-like face.

She decided to intervene eventually, "Enough, Abel. Please do not torture your _tovarish_ like that. She is confused enough by your strength as it is." She giggled cheekily.

"Alright sister, but what did you expect me to do when she lunged at me like that?" he laughed softly, his chuckle sounding like the warm brass instruments in an orchestra.

" _Sister?!"_ Asthe hissed once she was free from Abel's unnaturally strong grip, "How _dare_ you compare yourself to our empress, Abel. I was obviously wrong about you not being like the other terrans!"

At her shriek, Seth was suddenly at her noble's side with a calming hand on her shoulder, "Please Asthe, do calm down."

The vampire looked at her leader in confusion, before straightening up from her attack stance.

Seth smiled at her sympathetically, "I know it is hard for you to understand right now, why Abel could stop you in your tracks when he showed no display of such strength before, and why he would _dare_ to call me sister," at this she moved to stand at Abel's side and grinned up at him, "But you see, there is one possibility that your prejudice is unfortunately preventing you from acknowledging, my dear." She suddenly sounded like an old woman with her last sentence. Asthe, seeming to catch what she was getting at, could only look from Abel to Seth slowly.

The colour seemed to drain from Lady Astherosh's already pale face as she took in all of the changes in Abel's demeanour that she had been unable to see when he had first walked in through that door. All at once, a horrified look appeared on her face and she seemed to shrink in humiliation. Then, as if making up her mind about something, she marched over to where Abel was standing, and the Nightlord mentally prepared himself for the slap that was no doubt coming his way.

To the surprise of the two siblings, Asthe instead knelt down on one knee in front of the silver-haired monarch. If they hadn't known better, they would have said the woman's voice was trembling when she spoke next, "M-my lord. Forgive me for my actions in the past, I-I was not aware that you…I-I…"

The vampire seemed not to be able to speak anymore, her hurt pride clogging up her throat and paralysing her tongue. Almost as soon as her attempt at an apology had ended, Abel clasped her shoulders and crouched down to her level.

His eyes more serious than she had ever seen them, he addressed the ashamed noble, "Asthe, please stand up." His voice was gentle and kind, just as she had known it to be, she obeyed, her own eyes wide now in disbelief. The returned emperor was going to forgive her so easily?

He continued, "I do not want you to ever bow to me, Asthe."

She looked as if she was about to protest Abel's words, but he didn't give her a chance to, "You are my friend." He smiled genuinely at her, and she went limp as she saw the man she had gotten to know all those years ago return to her in an instant. Sure, he wasn't the goof he had been at the time; far from it in fact; but his smile was enough to make her feel as if she had gotten to know a true element of Abel after all. It was real, and she could no longer harbour any ill-will towards him. He was her emperor after all, and her – gulp – her friend.

She looked him in the eyes, Abel noted with relief as he finished, "Right, _tovarish?_ " He flashed another cheeky grin at her, which fell away as he saw her cheeks grow red again.

 _Right. I couldn't use that word. Uh oh, here we go again…_

Abel's thoughts were interrupted by the realisation that Asthe hadn't begun to attack him again for using a sacred Methuselah word. Was she… _blushing?_

Nightlord bit back a laugh, he didn't need to make her feel even more humiliated than she felt at this moment.

He could see a shy smile creep onto her face and his jaw almost dropped to the floor. _Asthe never smiles at me!_

"P-please excuse me, Majesties. I-I would like to take a moment to consider everything I have realised tonight," she stated somewhat uncomfortably, "And, my emperor?" Abel looked to her with an odd mixture of hope and disappointment, she had not called him by his name, "I would like you to know that I _still_ think you are an idiot."

Abel felt like cheering as Asthe left her parting shot at the doorway, before vanishing from sight. Seth actually _did_ cheer however, and the two siblings collapsed onto her expansive bed in the centre of the room.

"That went…much better than I expected it to go, sister," Abel started, gazing up at the intricately designed ceiling.

Seth laughed, "I knew it would go well. And just think, Abel," he turned to face her when she said his name, "If this is how _Asthe_ reacted, I know it will go swimmingly with the rest of my children!" Her round cheeks were flushed with excitement, and Abel couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt in his chest at the idea of taking her kingdom from her.

"Seth, are you _sure_ that you –"

She cut him off, "Of course I am, Abel! It was _always_ your empire, not mine. I was merely 'keeping the seat warm for you', dear brother."

Abel still looked pained, "I still don't think –"

She interrupted him again, "For crying out loud, Abel! If you don't take the throne, I am going to hand it over to Astherosh!"

A brief look of terror passed across Abel's face before he nodded his head vigorously. He knew it had only been a joke, but he played along anyway. He couldn't resist humouring his younger sister. She positively radiated happiness when she saw his positive answer. Abel growled under his breath, that was the first time he had ever given a direct answer on this particular matter and his sister had tricked him into it. Still, she would hold him to it no matter what.

Abel groaned and covered his face with his arms, a cunning Seth giggled next to him and place her small hand over his strong one. She squeezed it once, and he responded by squeezing back twice. Soon, they began creating Morse code patterns and making up ridiculous messages or each other, as they had done when they were children. Seth sighed with delirious happiness as she and her older brother communicated without words.

How wonderful it was to have her brother back where he belonged.

"Come _on_ , Abel! I thought it was girls who were supposed to take ages to get ready," an impatient Seth, already dressed in all of her empress finery minus the veil – as every one of her children now knew her true identity – stood at the closed door to Abel's living quarters in the palace. The rooms were almost as extravagant as Seth's herself, and Abel felt quite uncomfortable in them after spending so long living as a penniless priest.

He snapped a response to her from the other side of the rich wood, "Well, I was ready in my old clothes, but then you had to go and sic your servants on me."

Abel scowled, he didn't feel the need for so many servants to help one person dress, even if that person was the emperor.

Seth laughed at the absurd notion, "You didn't really think I was going to let you wear you tattered, Vatican clothes did you, brother?" She gestured toward the fine garments Abel was now being clothed in, "Now you will finally look every bit the emperor you are."

Abel turned in front of the three-panel mirror as the servants backed away from him. Before they utterly vanished though, he turned to them, "Thank you." He said this meaningfully and sincerely, something the servants had clearly not been expecting. They stammered out giddy replies, before exiting the room hastily. Abel Nightlord had been dressed in an excellently tailored, brilliant white suit, with a vermillion shirt underneath. White boots with a swirling gold leaf design reached up to his knees, while his silver hair had been left hanging elegantly around his shoulders. Also on his shoulders, was a long, white cape that trailed on the floor behind him, that shared the same intricate, golden pattern as were on his boots. In spite of the extravagance of the clothing, it was surprisingly light and easy to move around in. They were comfortable, Abel marked with a childish scowl as he opened the door.

Seth was wearing similar attire, except that instead of a white suit, she wore a shimmering green dress that set off her eyes, and white ballet pumps instead of boots. For once, however, she was not impatient, or grinning a child-like grin, instead she was staring at her brother in awe.

"Sister?" Abel began, slightly worried. His sister was never quiet.

"The emperor has returned," she said softly, as a serene smile unlike the one she normally wore slowly spread across her face, "You are most definitely ready, dear brother."

Abel was about to protest once more, but Seth had seemed so… _confident._ So _at peace._ He couldn't understand it, _serene_ had never been a word he would use to describe his younger sister. Until this moment.

Pausing in front of the door to the broadcasting room in the palace, she held out a dainty, gloved hand to Abel. He took it without hesitation.

"Are you ready, brother?" she smiled as she asked the question, she already knew his answer.

"As I will ever be, sister."

"Then let us make it official. Tonight, my dear Abel Nightlord, you will return to your rightful place as emperor of the New Human Empire."


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"I still don't get why he couldn't even say goodbye," Father Leon growled under his breath as the AX members gathered around the screen in Cardinal Sforza's debriefing room. The AX functioned as a unit of peacekeepers and enforcers for the Vatican. Founded by Caterina Sforza herself, as well as a certain silver-haired priest, it existed ultimately to form peace between the humans and Methuselah. The task force's current members had all been told to meet the cardinal in her debriefing room so that they could watch the inauguration of the new ruler of the Methuselah empire. Granted, it was a 'big thing' for the empire, but what did the AX have to do with it? It was just a new vampire in power, and as long as they kept to the agreement the Vatican had forged with the empire, everything would remain the same. Even though the new leader was said to be some lost emperor who was now nine centuries old, that was just a legend. And, despite them supposedly being priests and nuns, the AX found it hard to believe certain things without seeing cold, hard evidence.

As of this moment, all the members had arrived and they were waiting on Cardinal Sforza so, in an attempt to fill the silence, Father Leon had begun whining about Abel's sudden departure and him not having the decency to say goodbye. Although the other people in the room felt the same way, they were at least more reasonable than Leon and had considered the fact that it may simply have been too hard for the goofy Father to leave his friends and colleagues as it was when he had left for, _wherever_ it was he had retired to. The dark-haired Spaniard still muttered under his breath in spite of these reasonable suggestions. Professor William Wordsworth attempted to change the topic, "You do know, Leon, that the new emperor is said to be the Nightlord of legend?"

Leon scowled half-heartedly, but took the bait, "You mean the one who went crazy and killed seven million people?"

Wordsworth grinned from behind his pipe, "Precisely. Although, it is said that as punishment for his own crimes, he swore allegiance to the papacy and served to protect humans for seven centuries. And now, he is returned a kind and noble ruler…we hope." William smiled wickedly as he said these last two words, only to receive groans from the other AX members gathered in the room; well, all except for Father Tres, of course.

"Really, Professor?" Leon began, "You expect me to believe that load of bull-,"

Father Leon was interrupted by the double doors opening to reveal cardinal Sforza.

"I really wish you would refrain from those profanities, Father Leon," the red-clad woman frowned, "We are on sacred ground."

Leon rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and flushed a deep scarlet, one that rivalled the colour of the cardinal's robes, before muttering a quick apology. While she greeted the other AX members and prepared for the empress' broadcast, Leon scooted over to where Wordsworth was sitting cross-legged in a plush arm chair.

"Hey! Professor!" he hissed as quietly as he could.

"Yes, Father Leon?" he had an amused twinkle in his dark, chocolate eyes.

"I have another problem with your _story_ ," Leon continued with sarcasm dripping from his voice, "If the emperor guy really _did_ exist, and served the Vatican, then why didn't we _see_ him, huh?" The muscular priest folded his arms over his chest and sat back in his own chair, smugly. He clearly felt as if he had won this particular argument.

The Professor only sat back and placed the end of his pipe back into his mouth contemplatively, "Indeed."

At that moment, the hologram flickered to life on the projection screen and almost everyone in the room gasped. They had tuned in to the broadcast a little late, and the empress was addressing the camera, but she wasn't wearing her veil! And, what was even more odd, she appeared to be a _child_.

What convinced the AX that this really was the empress however, was the manner in which she addressed her 'children' and the immense wisdom behind those intelligent, green eyes. They followed the subtitles on the screen as she spoke in the language of her people:

 _"_ _My dear children. As you all recently became aware, my name is not Augusta Vradica. It is Seth Nightlord…"_

At this, if the nuns in the room had been regular nuns, they would have fainted in shock. No one could believe that this young girl was claiming to be one of the legendary Nightlord siblings. Even if they did have a sister, legends were fantasy. They _were not real._ And yet, there was a look in the child's eyes as she spoke that gave off the sense that she had seen many years come and go, as well as many normal human, and Methuselah, lifespans. Almost as one, the occupants of the room shuddered as they looked into those knowledgeable, jewel eyes. She went on:

 _"…_ _and I must repeat news of an even better calibre to you today. Once again, as you have all been made aware, my dear brother has finally returned to us, and to his rightful place as emperor. I must tell you though, my dear children, that in his nobleness, he denied the throne several times for my sake, as he thought I was a better ruler than he…"_

The sound of protesting came from off the camera. Clearly the Methuselah wanted their 'destined' leader to rule. As much as they loved Augusta, or rather, Seth, they had _apparently_ been ruled by her gentle will for centuries; they must have felt that it was time for a change, especially if the person changing things was the legendary 'lord of the Night'. The reactions of her 'children' did not seem to bother the empress in the least, however:

 _"…_ _I know, my children, I was appalled as well. I could not understand the reason he would pass up such an opportunity, until I realised it was out of love of me, his sister, his family. And so, now that he has agreed to finally return to his rightful throne – as a result of my continued insistence – I implore you all to welcome him as your new ruler. Why? Because he considers you all his family, and every decision he has ever made has been driven by the love he has for his family. Therefore, without further ado, I must welcome my brother, your new leader, Emperor Abel Nightlord..."_

The similarity of the name the AX had just heard to the one of their own, absent friend had clearly not dawned on them…somehow. Perhaps they were merely too transfixed on the elegant figure that had appeared in the corner of the room and whom the camera was now trained on.

He was clearly the new emperor. Everything about him exuded royalty, and not just the clothes he wore. The way he held himself indicated that he, and Seth, were the highest on the food chain in that room. His neck was inclined, his posture faultless and his steps placed perfectly. And he still managed to make it look natural, and not forced. When he reached Seth, a brotherly smile flitted across his features, before he looked at the camera with a face that strictly meant business:

 _"_ _My people. I am sorry it took me so long to come to you, but I must tell you that every day I was away, it was another stab to my heart. Although I had served my penance for all of the inexcusable wrongs I committed all those years ago, I still felt unworthy to be one of you. I worked with the Vatican yes, and those years have instilled in me a renewed desire for peace for all of the Earth, Methuselah – and human – alike. And so, before I carry on, I wish to show my respect for all of you by blessing those who have fallen in my absence, in the way the humans have taught me…"_

By now, the AX had found something disturbingly familiar about the new emperor, the dreaded Abel Nightlord. And yet, they still could not place it exactly. There was just something in the way his long, silver hair framed his face, and in his piercing, but somehow still kind, icy blue gaze. Caterina smiled a bittersweet smile to herself, thinking, _I guess that goofball act worked better than you thought it would Abel,_ as she watched the man she had recognised all too easily from the moment of his entrance, in the hologram. Solemnly, he raised his right hand and made the sign of the cross, saying a phrase that the AX needed no subtitles to understand:

 _'_ _Requiesce in pace.'_

There was a collective intake of breath and the debriefing room was suddenly deathly quiet as everyone inside suddenly recognised the new emperor for who he was, their very own Father Abel Nightroad. That single Latin phrase that held so much meaning in the emperor's eyes had echoed the odd volunteer-work that Father Nightroad had always done whenever there had been a funeral in the Vatican. He had conducted every service, and had seemed to find immense peace in pleading for the souls of the deceased. And now, the reason for that would seem to be because he himself had _massacred_ millions of the human-race centuries ago. _That_ particular bizarre obsession with the afterlife could be well-founded in that light, it could be argued. But once more, the ironically disbelieving nature of the AX had dominated the room and each member burst into their own individual justifications at the same time.

"Four eyes?! _That's_ where he went?! You have got to be kidding me! Caterina, this is a kooky scheme cooked up by you and the goof, right?" Leon's eyes held an odd mixture of confidence in his theory and fear that he may be wrong as he addressed the blond woman, who had her hands folded in her lap and had merely been watching quietly. The cardinal fixed him with her steely gaze, but did not answer his question. She would debrief them on their mission soon enough; she had known that if she had simply _told_ the AX who the new emperor was, they would laugh her out of the room.

But this revelation didn't seem to have the desired effect, anyway. The other members were still buzzing and snapping at one another, even though they were all saying the same thing; that it _must_ be a plot by the Vatican, that empress Seth _must be_ in on it, and that they didn't know how a room filled to the brim with vampires couldn't smell a _human_ amongst them. Caterina sighed, this may still turn out be harder than she had thought it would at first. She turned her eyes back to the screen, and brightened slightly. _There may still be hope yet._

Demanding everyone's attention to return to the broadcast, the debriefing room in the Vatican was once more returned to a disgruntled silence as its inhabitants focussed on the new, and whom they believed to be 'phony', emperor. Emperor Nightlord had been speaking through their spat, and they tuned into what seemed to be the end of an extensive 'thank you' speech:

 _"…_ _And thus I would like to say a massive "thank you" once more. You have all been so immensely gracious and understanding towards my sister and myself, and for that I am eternally grateful. I can only hope to live up to your expectations as a good, and worthy leader in the time to come. In conclusion, I would like to make a promise to you all, good Methuselah of the New Human Empire…"_

At these words, and to the AX's bewilderment, they saw Seth Nightlord's fangs extend over her darkening lips. Her eyes had also begun to turn a glowing, somewhat terrifying, crimson. It did not appear to be a threat in anyway however, only an action that served to emphasise her "brother's" next words:

 _"…_ _I swear to protect and serve you, my people, to the best of my ability. And, should anything threaten the peace we have achieved in our beloved empire, or any of my sister's children, I will not hesitate to put a stop to the opposing force swiftly, and without pity."_

As he was saying this, Abel Nightlord's words had begun to grow ever so slightly muffled, and when the AX saw why, they thought they would either scream, faint, throw up, or do all three at the same time; in spite of their strong dispositions. Long, dangerous-looking fangs also extended slowly over his blackening lips, and the wintery blue eyes they had all known so well began to change hue to a fiery red that matched that of the ex-empress sitting beside him.

This display of power, along with its accompanying statement however, had caused the Methuselah to erupt into wild cheers and, in something akin to a Mexican wave, all of those in the room knelt on one knee before their new emperor. They remained in that position until the camera zoomed in once more on the pair of royal siblings, now looking every bit as normal as they had before, as they rose and turned to leave. The emperor had a gentle hand on his sister's shoulder, and she in turn wrapped a short arm around his waist as they exited the tall double doors of the hall; their actions a total contrast to the beings that the audience, both present and watching the holograms, had been given the briefest glimpse of only moments before.

Wordlessly, Caterina switched off the hologram, and stood in front of her floored task force. She gave them a warm, almost amused smile, as she looked around the room at their disbelieving faces – all with the exception of Tres once more, who merely held the only expression he ever wore.

"So," she began, maintaining her knowing grin, "Any questions?"

"Did I really have to say that last line?" the newly inaugurated Emperor said softly as he flopped onto the luxurious bed in what had become his chambers at the time of his arrival only a few days earlier.

"It made me sound like a tyrant," he shuddered, "Like when the crusnik was in control." His words were muffled, as they had been spoken into the down bed clothes Abel now had his face pressed into. Seth sat down beside her brother and stroked his long hair comfortingly. She was glad Abel was becoming more relaxed in the empire, and more used to the fact that he was royalty; but the thing she was the gladdest for (although she'd never say it to her brother's face) was the fact that he had dropped the goofy priest act he had been maintaining for the last decade or so. It had been surprisingly easy to wean him off of, but then he had only been using it for a decade of his total nine hundred and fifty years of living. So, perhaps it was a relief for him to be able to end the act as well. Seth spoke calmly, in an attempt to comfort her concerned brother.

"Abel, you know that is not what you sounded like. You were merely showing your people whose side you have chosen," Abel turned his head and looked up at her with a forlorn gaze when she said this.

She giggled at her brother's puppy dog eyes and continued, "You have been working with the Vatican for seven centuries after all. And, while we are striving for peace with the humans, your people need to know that you will defend them over anyone else should the need arise."

Abel nodded reluctantly and shifted to a sitting position, "I suppose you are right, sister. I should just be grateful that the Methuselah were so accepting of me as their new leader. To be honest, I was expecting a little more opposition." He grinned sheepishly, but his eyes were solemn, betraying the guilt he still felt at Seth handing the throne over to him like she did.

The raven-haired girl only laughed heartily, "You do remember how superstitious the Methuselah are, don't you brother? The moment they heard that you were the first emperor of the New Human Empire, the Nightlord of legend, I knew they would accept you back wholeheartedly." She gave him a beaming grin and Abel could not help but relax. His shoulders loosened and he gave his sister a small, but this time genuine, smile and ruffled her short hair.

"Hey!" she protested, "Do you not know how _long_ I had to sit in order to get my hair to stay in one place?!" she gave her brother a mock scowl and bowled him over on the bed, pummelling his chest with her small fists. Abel burst out laughing at her childish reaction and, hearing his laughter, Seth began to giggle too. It wasn't long before both siblings were crippled with mirth and the former empress rolled off of her older brother, clutching her sides. They both lay comfortably, as their laughter died down to a happy silence, and they stared at the ceiling in contentment once more; something they seemed to be making a habit of.

A fair distance away and a couple hundred feet above sea level, a fuming Father Leon was glaring through one of the _Iron Maiden_ 's small hatch windows, much like the object of his annoyance had done only a few days prior. The large airship's interior was buzzing with barely contained excitement and nervousness as the AX made their way towards their next mission. Unusual for agents well-versed in the arts of combat, stealth and assassination, they were positively squealing like schoolchildren in anticipation. This was a mission unlike anything they had been given before.

They had been tasked with the _protection_ of the Methuselah within the Empire, in particular the two members of the 'royal family' – of course. Instead of being sent to exterminate rogue vampires, or to fight against a rebel group who was against the peace between the two nations, they were instead _helping_ the vampires in dealing with any possible dangers or problems that may arise following the "retirement" of their previous ruler.

Leon, although also secretly attempting to calm the nervousness settling in the pit of his stomach, refused to outwardly show anything other than his stubborn glare for the duration of the journey. He was angry, no – he was furious at Father Nightroad. Or, as it turned out, _Emperor Nightlord._ He had thought they had been close enough for Leon to deserve knowing the truth. The one where his AX buddy was actually a whole different _species._ And a vampire king no less.

Clearly he had been mistaken, the thought popped into his head and only deepened the crinkles between his angry eyebrows. The silver-haired man that everyone thought they had known was going to have a _lot_ to answer for when the AX arrived at his…palace.

Leon shook his head in disbelief. Glancing around the cabin again, he scowled at the fact that everyone else seemed to be taking the news that their Abel Nightroad was actually a nine century old vampire emperor with a pinch of salt. Someone (who the idiot was, Leon was too irate to care) even had the nerve to say that he had "known all along."

 _Seriously?_

The dark-haired Spaniard decided it would be safer for the other humans if he looked back out of the window again, to prevent any potential outbursts. He saw the tell-tale shimmer of the anti-UV barrier just below the aircraft and took a deep breath in an attempt to subside the seething indignance he had housed for the duration of the flight. He would have to be on his best behaviour in a few moments; he was soon to be in the presence of royalty, after all.

The priest's 'deep-breathing' technique didn't work.

"The terrans from the Vatican have arrived, your Grace," Leon scowled as the Yenceri guard spoke into his regulation earpiece. He hated the term almost as much as the Methuselah hated being called vampires. His dark eyes looked as if they were ready to set the guard on fire, while the stiff Methuselah nodded as he received a reply from the person on the other end. The emperor had asked to be able to speak directly to each of the Yenceri through the espionage-esque network the royal guard had access to. Rumour had it, Emperor Nightlord himself now sported a similar earpiece to keep in contact with his guards, Baybars the Head of the Yenceri, in particular.

Turning back to the humans with a look of barely disguised disgust, the guard relayed his instructions, "His Imperial Majesty says that you are to meet him in the throne room."

The vampire couldn't keep his upper lip from lifting up into a sneer, but the AX would have had it much worse if they were not the special guests of the Emperor. In spite of the tentative peace between the two nations of the world, the sad truth was that prejudice still ruled the minds of both humans and Methuselah alike.

The first AX agent to enter the massive, intricately designed double doors of the palace shoved past the guard rudely, as if only for the purpose of reinforcing this fact. Not hearing the low hiss that was the response, the other members followed their comrade in a less hostile manner. Father Leon's face was still twisted into an unhappy grimace, but it now seemed to be directed at the poor, unassuming slate floor, rather than anyone in particular.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 **A/N: Hey guys! I am so sorry it took me so long to update this, and to reply to all commenters!**

 **To:**

 **maxe03: I know right? Leon can be a wimpy baby sometimes XD**

 **lukas: Thank you very much! It is actually the one that I've stuck with after all the fanfiction I've written.**

 **Styrmlong: Thanks so much! I try to make my writing as reader friendly as possible and I also can't wait to see where the story takes us! XD**

 **BlueWings900: I am so honoured that you've taken the time to read my fanfic! I am a huge fan of your work in the Trinity Blood area. I can understand your reviews, don't worry XD and thank you for the feedback!**

 **Now, without further ado…on with the show!**

"My lord, the terrans from the Vatican are outside and awaiting your order," a handsome, dark-skinned vampire held a fist to his breastplate and supported himself on one knee as he made the announcement to his emperor.

Nightlord had been slouching in a throne that mirrored his sister's original one, and that had seemed to magically appear in the lengthy throne room overnight. When his guard had approached him, he straightened himself up and listened to the man's words with interest. By all rights he should be nervous, but it is not for an emperor to show such weakening emotions in the presence of his subjects, even if he were a reluctant one. That's what Abel believed anyway; but then again, he supposed he was 'old-fashioned'.

"Thank you, Baybars. You can bring them in," he smiled kindly at the head of the Yenceri who bowed deeply to him in return, before backing away slowly and then turning on his heel to march towards the large golden-coloured double doors. Lady Astherosh, who had been standing in her place just to the right of the throne, gave Abel a playful nudge on the shoulder with a sharp elbow.

"Are you sure you're ready for this, _tovarish_?" she tried to hide her glee at the thought of her partner's impending embarrassment. The initial shock of finding out that her idiot _tovarish_ was actually her idiot Emperor had worn off and the odd, but deep, bond of their friendship had returned to its normal, spirited nature. Although, the respect that Abel had always had for her was now finally being returned, and to a degree greater than either of them would have thought the vampire woman capable of.

Abel pressed two elegant, pale fingers to his temple and rubbed small circles into his smooth skin. Asthe smirked at the action, but didn't say anymore. It was going to be hard to confront those who had known him for all their lives as someone entirely different, but she knew her partner would win them over. He was certainly capable of doing _that_. He had won _her_ over at any rate…

The woman shook her head vigorously at the path her thoughts were disobediently taking, the pink colour that had begun to make its way to her cheeks draining away before anyone of _importance_ – she looked to the returned emperor still holding a hand to his head – noticed it.

She breathed a silent sigh of relief that Nightlord had not noticed her brief moment of weakness. She was a woman after all, so she could definitely appreciate a good-looking man; and the emperor, with his straight, aristocratic nose, piercing icicle eyes, and defined jaw was more than merely 'good-looking'. She hastily looked away from studying the man's Roman profile, to prevent any more unwanted heat flowing to her cheeks and the tips of her ears.

Saving Astherosh from her imagined potential embarrassment, the doors were flung open by Baybars, who marched towards the thrones again. This time, he had the AX terrans trailing behind him. The noble smirked as she noticed that several of them were gazing at the jaw-droppingly beautiful room around them with wide, child-like eyes. This was obviously the first time a number of them had been inside the palace; fondly referred to as the 'crown jewel' of the New Human Empire by the Methuselah residents.

Her sharp eyes narrowed however, as she noticed the priest who was following the closest behind Baybars. His dark, unruly mane of hair positively bristled with anger, and his murderous gaze was fixed solely on Emperor Nightlord as he stomped closer to the front of the room. Asthe could feel a low growl begin to form at the back of her throat.

 _If this filthy terran posed_ any _threat whatsoever to her emperor, to her_ tovarish _…_

As if sensing her growing, retaliatory hostility, Abel looked at her pointedly and gave her an almost imperceptible shake of his head. Seth had suggested the night before that he should greet the AX on his own, with only his advisor – that is, Lady Astherosh – at his side. It would display his proficiency in handling Human-Methuselah relations, reinforcing his people's faith in him as a good, and effective leader. That was what she had said at any rate.

Abel, however, was sure she had merely wanted to place him in the awkward situation of dealing with his ex-compatriots, with the presence of his unpredictable _tovarish_ thrown into the mix for the benefit of the retired Empress' entertainment _._

As Baybars neared with the guests, the emperor began to grow inwardly uneasy. How was he to act with the AX? Was he supposed to behave as if nothing had changed? Or was he to play the role of the fair, but firm, vampire emperor?

His seafoam eyes began to dart the room in search of a solution, or possibly an escape, from the difficult situation. They rested on his newly appointed advisor, who was looking at him with an expression of uncharacteristic encouragement lighting up her face. Taken aback, the growingly desperate thoughts subsided and Abel found himself able to face the newcomers with a strange sense of calmness centering him. How odd.

It had surely been shocked into him by the fact that Asthe was looking at him with something other than a scowl.

Yet, aided by this newfound serenity, the silver-haired crusnik patiently waited for the AX members to arrive at the foot of the stairs that led up to both his sister's, and now his own, throne.

Abel awarded the fuming father Leon a sheepish smile, although his eyes remained calm and determined. Determined about what though, the convict-cum-cleric hadn't a clue. He opened his mouth to demand an explanation, but the professor saw this and jumped in before the Spaniard could compromise their mission before it had even begun.

"Your Imperial Majesty," he bowed elegantly, "I am sure you are aware of Cardinal Sforza's assignment regarding us, the members of the AX."

"Please Professor, there is no need for formalities around me," the returned monarch said with a gracious smile, "we were colleagues right up until a week ago, after all."

Abel's eyes closed as his grin grew more genuine, and several of the AX members visibly relaxed as they reconciled the imposing figure in front of them with the man that had recently left their ranks. The human mind is an odd thing, and they found comfort in denying the obvious truth. The Vatican soldiers could remain comfortable in the new emperor's presence as long as they could believe that he was the same clumsy priest they had grown to treasure, and not a dangerous creature outside of their own species.

This tentative calm that tried in vain to permeate the room was abruptly suffocated when the still livid Father Garcia piped up.

"Oh please, Four Eyes," he pointed an accusing finger at his old friend, "You can stop the act now. We know this is all fake! I mean, cards on the table, you don't _really_ believe that you are an emperor, do you?"

Leon paused in his brief tirade to snort out a humourless laugh, "Or that you're a _Methuselah?!_ I'd need to see _that_ to believe it!"

He wiped an imaginary tear of mirth from the one eye he possessed, not being able to deliver a convincing performance if he had tried to wipe at his black, studded eye patch. He gave a few more forced laughs for good measure, before standing with defiant fists on his hips and staring his ex-partner straight in the intense, violet eyes.

The hall fell deathly quiet, the entire AX seemed to collectively hold its breath and the vampires surrounding the visitors appeared to be frozen with shock and horror at the audacity of the terran at the front of the group. The object of Leon's anger merely gazed down at the man, an amused, but slightly sad curl to his sculpted lips that he hid by propping his chin up with a slender hand. He could understand his poor friend's refusal to accept the truth that had been presented to him. _He_ certainly would have found this whole reality quite unbelievable himself if he had not been living it.

"Father Leon, it is wonderful to see you again my friend," Abel decided to go with a safe opening line to console the irate priest.

"Hah!" Leon gave another humourless cackle. It was clearly not safe enough, then.

The maned priest continued, "I thought we were friends, but seeing as you're _still lying to me_ I may have to reconsider that title!" He bared his straight, white teeth at Abel in a grimace, in an attempt to distract him from the hurt he was actually feeling. It didn't work though.

As he gazed into the man's only eye, the emperor saw his ex-partner's desire to believe him. He also saw the man's fear of being wrong. The resulting fear of not being able to trust the only person he felt he could in a long time.

And Abel understood. He knew what it meant to be betrayed. Oh, how he knew. He couldn't hold anything against this fragile man, his delicate friend, for snapping at him. No, instead he would help him in the best way he knew how. He would show Father Leon Garcia that what was happening right now, what he so desperately wanted to be true, _was_ true.

As if by divine intervention, the emperor's ear piece beeped, demanding attention from its wearer and everyone else in the room.

With an apologetic smile, Abel pressed the receiving button and held it so that he could receive the message that so desperately needed to be delivered.

 _"_ _Imperial Majesty,"_ came a panicked voice. Abel barked a greeting, his expression immediately growing serious as he heard the shrillness of the yenceri's voice.

 _"_ _There are Methuselah rioting in the streets. A group opposed to the empress' abdication. They are attacking anyone in sight who is not a part of their assembly."_

Abel thanked the guard with an assurance that he and a team of yenceri would set out for the location he had been given at once.

He stood up from his throne, the white cape around his neck swishing from side to side at the brisk movement. The AX looked up at him in confusion, while the yenceri guard lining the hall stood to attention.

"I am sorry to disrupt this meeting, but we will have to continue it at a later stage," he apologetically inclined his head towards the AX before continuing, "There has just arisen an urgent situation that I must deal with immediately. Baybars, please assemble a team who will be ready to move out as soon as possible," the dark-skinned head guard bowed sharply before pressing a finger to his earpiece and muttering into it.

Abel continued, "Lady Astherosh I will need you to accompany me as well," the blonde woman held a fist to her breast and inclined her head graciously, calm actions that concealed the child-like excitement that had begun to bubble within her at the emperor's request.

The monarch in question had already taken off his cape and placed it into the hands of a servant who had seemingly materialised out of nowhere to take the garment, when he hesitated. He glanced down at his white combat outfit, thinking about how much more appropriate his old AX regulation suit would have been for battle and then looked up at the current AX members who were now gazing at him expectantly.

He sent a silent prayer to the Heavens, thanking the Lord for the opportunity He had dropped into his lap before smirking at Leon. The man did not see it however, he had been staring gloomily at the floor ever since his last outburst. He looked up sharply though, when the emperor addressed him.

"Father Leon, Father Tres, Professor? I would like the three of you to accompany me, as well." Leon blinked in surprise, before nodding his head reluctantly, while the Professor gave Abel an accommodating grin, his dark hazel eyes lighting up in anticipation of his first _real_ fight in ages.

"Understood," Tres deadpanned.

With a look back at his advisor, who was now frozen in place in light of her emperor's latest order, Abel gestured to the team he had put together to head towards the imposing double doors at the end of the hall.

Asthe's glare shifted between the boorish AX man and her emperor, making sure both of them were aware that she was seriously contemplating how she would carry out each of their deaths, slowly and painfully. Noticing that neither of the two ex-partners were aware of her murderous intentions only served to fuel her indignant anger more, and her cheeks attained the hue of a child about to throw a rather spectacular tantrum.

" _Tovarish,_ why is this terran accompanying us on a mission that so clearly has _nothing_ to do with him," she spat out the word 'terran' as if it she had taken a rather nasty mouthful of the sustenance Methuselah were infamous for consuming.

Abel glanced up at her, his eyes mildly disoriented as if she had derailed an especially entangling train of thought. Registering belatedly what she had said, he awarded her with a hearty grin that heavily contrasted with the expression he had been wearing in the previous moment.

"Why, lady Astherosh, Father Leon here is coming along for the ride to deem whether the new emperor of the New Human Empire is worthy of such a prestigious title!" He clapped Leon on the back as he said this, his words earning scowls from both of the two occupants sharing the Imperial carriage with him.

The distance to the street address the panicked yenceri soldier had given his emperor was not close enough to the palace for efficient transport on foot, even taking into account the formidable agility the Methuselah, as a race, possessed. Now, an envoy of horse-drawn carriages was on its way to the skirmish that, despite his sister's insistence, Abel had suspected would occur.

Leon gave Abel a suspicious glance as the silver-haired man's grin fell away from his face as abruptly as it had found its place there. The glance was rather half-hearted however, as the priest was feeling sheepish for his earlier actions.

Although he believed he was being lied to, even now the silver-haired man insisted that he was the emperor and a vampire, Leon resolved to find a way to get Abel to admit the truth so that both men could get past this whole ordeal. The anger he had nursed for the entire journey to the New Human Empire just hadn't been able to hold when he saw his old friend's genuine, kind smile in person again.

Still, Abel didn't have to know that just yet.

There was a loud rap on the front window where the carriage driver, a yenceri guard, was sitting. They had arrived at their destination. With a solemn nod to his two companions, the emperor exited the vehicle first; and what a sight met his lilac eyes.

The street the little chaos control squadron stood in was in a state of utter pandemonium. Store windows were shattered, peddler stands were smashed and small fires licked at the sides of the buildings that fringed the cobblestone road. Panicking Methuselah rushed around them, some being chased by others of their kind who were no doubt members of the rebel group.

Abel marked with a dizzying sense of relief that there hadn't seemed to be any blood spilled as yet and leapt into action so that the streets would continue to be free of the distinct, red fluid. He climbed swiftly onto the roof of his carriage and gestured for the yenceri, who was still in the driver's seat, to hand him the megaphone the team had brought along:

 _'_ _Attention citizens of the New Human Empire,"_ a few of the distraught vampires turned at the unexpected voice ricocheting along the avenue, only to lurch back into a dash at the sight of yet another rebel pursuing them. Abel's eyes narrowed in irritation, and he continues: _'This is your emperor addressing you.'_

The activity in the street ground to a halt at the mention of the word 'emperor'. The innocent Methuselah beamed up at their leader gratefully, while the rioters sneered at the lithe figure atop the imperial carriage.

One of them jeered at him, "You're no emperor! The only ruler for us will be Empress Vradica!" The speaker earned a few cheers from the other rebels scattered among the crowd, who had gathered at the foot of the carriage, and Abel noted with satisfaction that the mutinous group was not a large one.

The megaphone crackled to life again:

' _I appreciate your concerns, my people. But, as you know, it was my sister that asked me to take her place on the throne, in spite of my protests.'_

The one who had spoken before was still sneering when he gave the emperor his disrespectful reply, "Hah! _Your_ people? How do we even know you are who you say you are?!"

At this, a few mutterings rose from the Methuselah who had previously not been a part of the riot. The rebel who had spoken made a good point: what proof had they actually seen of their new emperor's heritage? Aside from the television display, which could very well have been edited in its production.

Abel nodded his head, also acknowledging the validity of this concern, and was about to lift the megaphone to his lips again when he noticed one of the mavericks weaving slyly through the assembly. The Nightlord watched him and, while his subjects conversed among themselves in hushed whispers, the emperor could see what, or rather who, the man had set his sights on.

A little girl, clutching the leg of a tattered doll, was standing in the middle of the throng of Methuselah and looking around her with wide, scared eyes. She was obviously lost; and somehow, Abel couldn't bring himself to believe that the rioter moving towards her had the intention of helping her find her parents. He felt a low growl form at the back of his throat, a sound that caused his nearest onlookers to gaze up at him in surprise.

When the emperor of the New Human Empire saw the glinting blade that his subject had pulled out of his back pocket, he decided that he had waited long enough to act, and leaped off of the carriage.

With movements faster than even the swiftest vampire, Abel snaked through the crowd and was at the child's side in the blink of an eye. Her would-be attacker jumped backwards in fright at the sudden appearance of the emperor before him; and it was his unceremonious thud on the dusty street that drew the attention of the entire gathering to the mismatched trio.

There was a collective gasp at the emperor's supernatural speed, and a few ashamed expressions on the faces of the citizens that had doubted their leader for even a moment. The rioters however, scoffed at this 'simple' display.

The little girl looked up at her rescuer, who gave her a kind smile in return, and clasped at his white trouser leg. 

He turned back to the man, now returned to a standing position, and scowled at him. The rebel gulped nervously, but held out his knife in an attempt to appear menacing.

Abel's scowl merely grew deeper as he contemplated the course of action he would take. There was only one that would dissuade the man from bringing the child any harm, while simultaneously shutting the riot down.

 _And giving Leon the proof he so needs,_ Abel sighed inwardly at the reiteration of his ulterior motives for bringing his ex-partner along, but then pulled himself up to his full height and squared his shoulders. He addressed the little girl still holding tightly onto his leg while keeping his gaze on the vampire in front of him, "Close your eyes, little one." She let out a small squeak, but obeyed the gentle order.

When the emperor spoke next, his voice was icy enough to freeze hell over, "Crusnik two-point-oh, release of restriction, forty percent."


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

When Astharoshe Asran, Duchess of Kiev and Viscountess of Odessa, heard those strange words come from the lips of her emperor, the colour drained from her face. She hadn't the first clue as to what they could mean, but the expression on Abel Nightlord's alabaster face when he uttered that declaration had shaken her to her core. It was so full of hate, something she had never seen the man feel towards another living creature, that it rendered him almost unrecognisable. She couldn't tear her eyes away from that beautiful, dangerous face; even to scold herself for being afraid of the previously seemingly harmless clown because, it seemed, her (deeply humiliating) fears were quickly becoming justified. 

Astharoshe felt her eyes widen and her jaw drop as she saw Abel's face pale even more than the shade it had already been. In fact, as it seemed it couldn't pale any further, it attained a blue-grey hue that dissuaded any onlooker from their previous assumption that the new emperor was ever human.

As if to contrast with its host's paling visage, the emperor's lips darkened considerably, as they had done in that first broadcast with his sister, and his irises and pupils seemed to fade into the crimson that had bled into his eyes. It was disturbing, to say the least, to attempt to look into someone's eyes and find that there was no way to tell whether they were returning the gaze or not.

Just when the emperor's advisor thought it was over, Abel's hair decided to take on a life of its own. Astharoshe's jaw dropped when the long, silver tresses rose into the air and formed a pseudo halo around the man's head. Gravity seemed to no longer be an option for those locks and Asthe, in a brief moment of alarm-induced insanity, conjured up the ridiculous image of the emperor attempting to brush through his physics-defying mane in the mornings.

She was swiftly jolted out of her thoughts however, when a frightened squeak came from the clearing the crowd had made around the three figures. No one was muttering or whispering anymore, their eyes fixed instead upon their new leader, the law-abiding citizens' filled with thrilled awe – and the rioters' with a unique combination of both shame and utter terror.

Astharoshe had initially believed the squeak to have come from the little girl, but when she looked anxiously over at her, she saw that the child had let go of Abel's trouser bottoms and was now clinging onto his leg itself for dear life. Her eyes were open wide and she seemed transfixed by the change that had come over her rescuer. Looking at the two adults, a mildly confused Methuselah soon discovered the source of the girlish squeal. She was unable to contain her inappropriate mirth at the expression on the rebel vampire's face and let out a snort.

The people around her looked at her incredulously, but it was only when the being that had been recognisable only a few moments ago turned to her, that she sobered up. To her astonishment, his lips curved into a small, but reassuring smile and his vermillion eyes briefly attained their signature twinkle.

When he turned back to the man, who had long since dropped his knife and was now holding his trembling hands up in surrender, Asthe was left with a wholly unladylike expression on her refined features as her jaw hit the cobblestone floor once more. With that single look, her _tovarish_ had once again transformed himself into the Abel she knew and loved (to bully), and Asthe could finally curse herself for ever being afraid of him.

While she was determinedly berating herself, the crusnik once again fixed his scorching gaze onto the would-be criminal in front of him, all traces of assurance now gone from his intimidating demeanour, and addressed him.

 **"** **You had every right to refuse to accept me as your new emperor. Neither my sister, nor I, are dictators and you had valid grounds for your rebellion,"** his long fangs flashed menacingly in the afternoon sunlight as he spoke.

 **"** **However,"** he continued, his voice solemn, **"Under no circumstances is it justifiable to threaten the safety of the members of your community.** "

He achieved several vigorous nods of agreement at this statement, and numerous scowls and glares were directed at the rebels who remained scattered in the crowd. Those on the receiving end seemed to shrink with unease. 

**"** **Furthermore,"** Nightlord continued, **"You directly endangered the life of this young girl in order to make me appear a leader ill-equipped to maintain the peace within his country's borders."**

The crowd collectively started at these words and only then seemed to notice the forgotten weapon on the stone pavement. With an outraged cry, the people immediately began to heckle and yell at the offending methuselah whose eyes went wide with fear. He looked around him in panic, but then was fixed into place by the red-hot gaze of his emperor once more.

When he began to speak again, the assembly immediately quieted, **"I am in no way offended for my own sake. But you made an attempt on the life of a** ** _child,_** **and that is unforgivable."**

The crowd erupted into sound once more, this time with cheers and shouts of approval for the monarch. After all, they all felt the need to compensate for their previous doubt.

He continued, **"I will not order your execution, for I believe that everyone deserves a chance at redemption. However, you will be sentenced to an indeterminate length of time in prison, in light of the crime you sought to commit against your country and its people."**

The rebel almost collapsed with the relief that weakened his knees and the crowd roared their support even louder at how noble and just their emperor had revealed himself to be.

Abel nodded at two of the yenceri guards who were desperately attempting some semblance of crowd-control as the people went wild with elation. They immediately went to their leader's side and with another head gesture to the still quivering rebel, they immediately seized him and frog-marched him to one of the carriages that the imperial squadron had arrived in not too long before.

Amidst all the slightly more organised chaos surrounding him, Abel remembered that he had a child that now seemed to be stuck to his leg. He closed his eyes and focused on retracting his fearsome features, forcing the crusnik machines in his blood to become dormant once more. He felt his hands twitch as the need to conjure up the scythe surfaced again. The crusnik had purposefully prevented its materialising as he felt that would possibly have been a bit _too_ much for the onlookers to handle.

There was a collective sigh of both disappointment and relief as the crowd saw their emperor return to his normal state, but it was only a brief pause before the yells of approval started up again. Abel chuckled as his hair fell to his shoulders and he lifted his right arm slightly, looking underneath it to better see the child.

She was looking up at him with massive, hazel eyes that were filled with wonder and, when she saw that he was looking down at her again, she immediately let go of his leg and lifted her arms, one hand still holding her dishevelled doll, to show that she wanted to be picked up. A warm smile spread across Abel's features and he readily lifted her into his arms. His heart broke a little when he realised just how small the girl was. She looked as if she couldn't have been more than five-years-old by human classification. However, even though she was a Methuselah and was probably closer to eighteen, Abel knew her mind had only reached that toddler level of maturity at this point in time.

She looked up at him with those same, awe-filled, doe eyes, "You're pretty mister," she said shyly, a lisp becoming apparent.

Abel laughed heartily this time and returned, "Thank you, miss."

She giggled at the use of the title and her little fingers reached out to touch his hair. Abel winced in anticipation, preparing himself for the sharp tug that he knew would come from the little child in her well-meaning curiosity, but was surprised to find that it never came. Instead, she was stroking the silver strands gently, as if anything more sudden would startle the man holding her in his protecting arms.

She looked from the long locks she held in her hand to Abel's face again and asked, "Are you an angel, mister?"

Abel was taken aback. He hadn't activated the crusnik to the eightieth percentile, which was the point his wings became visible, and yet here this little child was, asking him if he was an angel already. He answered her with a question of his own.

"Why do you ask that?" he said.

She stated her answer authoritatively, as if the question was a silly one, "Because you're so kind, mister. And you made me not scared anymore. And your hair lifted up like this," She raised her arms high to illustrate her point. When she lowered them again, her forehead creased in concentration before she added, "And you're pretty."

Abel let out another loud laugh and chucked her under her chin, "Well then, I suppose that makes sense. But you can just call me Abel, little one."

Her face lit up like the sun at being on a first name basis with what she believed to be an angel, and she threw her arms around his neck with joy.

She pulled back only to say, "I'm Nevina," before she nuzzled against the front of his shirt, her hands clinging onto the material like those of a baby monkey. Abel looked down at her fondly. Children had always meant the world to him, their innocence had always given him hope for the future and his vision that one day the world would be at peace.

He didn't have time to ruminate on this, however. He had a child in his arms, and there were no panicking parents in sight.

Which begged the question: just how was he going to find them?

01 lounged in the self-made throne that was the centrepiece of his base's control room, smirking down at the container he cradled as gently as one would an infant. The amorphous, black mass of nano-machines within trembled and buzzed like a swarm of tiny insects. The crusnik could not believe his luck. Once he'd heard that his dear 02 was returning to take the empirical throne, he decided that he would try his luck with the dead one's remains.

Wasn't he surprised to find that 02 had left the woman alone and unguarded, black-filled container ripe for the picking. He supposed perhaps that the silver-haired man's devotion was waning, although it would be unlikely and not to mention unfortunate for himself. For, should that indeed be the case, he would have to cross that off the list of things to torment 02 with.

The blonde's lips formed a petulant pout as he considered that option reluctantly, then sighed and chuckled as he drew himself out of his thoughts and focused on the nano-machines once more. He didn't care anymore for, with that woman's leftovers, he would _finally_ bring 02 back to him without the need for any more time-consuming torture, although he admitted that it was something he would greatly miss.

Now, all it would take would be a stab to the chest and the slightest pressure of the thumb…and he would have his brother back.

Leon was frozen in place, his eyes glazed over and his mouth open in an extremely unattractive fashion. Abel had been telling the truth. He wasn't human at all…he was – a monster.

 _No, not a monster,_ Leon shook his head vigorously to clear the unwanted thought from his head as he slowly returned to the present, _Abel has been my buddy, my partner for ages. He_ did _tell everyone that this was what he was, but we just happened to be the biggest pricks of all time and didn't believe him. We wanted this proof._

The priest took a deep, shaky breath before pulling himself towards himself and puffing his chest out to maintain some semblance of his usual bravado, while guilt was eating him up from the inside out. All around him, the Methuselah were buzzing with giddy excitement at the display their new emperor had provided, proving that he really was the legendary Nightlord warrior king. The yenceri that had accompanied the emperor and his motley crew were busying themselves with clearing up the streets and putting out what remained of the fires, while the civilians tried to get their own lives back in order.

The imperial guard made quick work of the clean-up and were soon heading back to the carriages to await the emperor's instruction as to their next step and Leon, having finally decided that he would apologise to Abel the moment he saw him, was about to march back to their own carriage when he saw that the silver-haired man was nowhere to be found.

The priest resisted dragging a hand down his face with a groan as this was so in character for the Abel he knew that he wondered why he hadn't anticipated this type of stunt earlier. _Oh, that's right,_ he thought, _it's because it turns out that he's_ not _the Abel I knew…more or less._

Again, he felt guilty for his thoughts and this time did actually groan aloud, walking over to a nearby lamp post and slamming his forehead into it with a satisfying 'clunk'. It was lucky that he had a thick skull, for the impact was hard enough to help clear the unwelcome thoughts from his mind, but not too unbearable that he'd be belting out tavern songs for the rest of the day.

It was like this, face squished into the metal pole, that Astherosh found him. She glared at him for a good few minutes, marvelling at the idiocy he personified, before giving him a whack on the back of the head that rivalled the one he'd just inflicted on his own frontal lobe. It might have pushed him a bit too far though, he could hear the lyrics of the first verse of _How to Leave Your Lover_ petering into the warm spot the female methuselah's hand had left on his cranium.

"The emperor seems to have a soft spot for you, terran," she sneered as Leon's eyes tried to focus on her, "for a reason that _I_ cannot particularly fathom. As you can see though, he is clearly not here and I am going to find him." Leon shook his head like a wet dog again, his curls bouncing around his face comically, trying to clear his head of the fuzz that the unlikely duo had joined forces in order to put there.

Astherosh rolled her eyes and marched to an adjoining street where she thought Abel would have most likely gone down. She looked back over her shoulder to see that the gently swaying priest had started to follow her.

"Hurry up!" she barked, "We haven't got all day." And with that, the emperor's advisor stomped out of view, the disoriented AX agent following behind her with shaky footsteps.

Abel, meanwhile, had reached the very edge of the district the riot had occurred in and was surprised to see that Nevina, who had scrambled out of his arms in favour of skipping along at his side, did not seem to live in the city itself at all. Rather, at his request that she lead him to her home, she was prancing along happily towards the beginnings of a rather substantial forest area, that he had not been aware people were residents of.

"You live in the forest, Nevina?" Abel inquired of the young girl, who nodded happily and started humming tunelessly, the anticipation of bringing a real angel home to meet her parents was rendering her too excited to speak. The emperor beamed down at her and her innocence, refusing to chuckle for fear of hurting her feelings, "Alright, then. Lead the way, miss."

The methuselah toddler giggled again and opened her mouth to reply to her rescuer when something caught her eye deeper in the forest that they had just entered. She gasped with delight at the heavenly silhouette she had just glimpsed.

"Look, mister angel! Another angel!" she said with an intensity akin to a stage whisper, as if she was afraid she would frighten the beautiful creature away. Abel was amused and marvelled at her sensitivity while, at the same time, an uneasy feeling settled into the pit of his stomach. The only thing that had ever experienced that had been mistaken for, or viewed as, an angel was a crusnik, and he and Seth were the only ones within a good few hundred-mile radius. Even little Nevina had come to associate his features with those of the divine beings associated with help and protection, and so it worried him that she claimed to have seen a similar creature deep in this particular forest.

Abel seriously doubted that Seth was anywhere near this area…which only left one option that the ex-priest did not want to consider. Although it was highly unlikely that his brother was here, the other twin had pulled of harder stunts before, and Abel had learned not to underestimate Cain, or 01 rather.

He was about to ask the girl what this "angel" looked like when the emperor realised that she was nowhere to be seen. Sweat beginning to bead on his brow, Abel cursed himself for his tendency to get lost in his own thoughts, and rushed off into the shadows of the trees in an attempt to catch her scent. The little girl had more than likely chased off after her newest divine creature and Abel hoped against all hope that it had turned out to be what she had dreamed of, and not what haunted his worst nightmares.


End file.
